Long-Ago Felony Prevents School Board President From Seeking Reelection

HAZEL CREST, IL - A south suburban school board president won’t be able to run for reelection this year due to a felony conviction he sustained at age 17.

A challenge to the candidacy of Dean Barnett, an incumbent on the Hazel Crest School District 152 ½ board of education and a 16-year member of the board, was upheld by the Cook County Electoral Board last week according to a Daily Southtown report. The complaint - filed by board candidate and Hazel Crest resident Tesha Gray - centered around Barrett’s 1993 conviction of receipt, possession and sale of a stolen vehicle, known as an “infamous” crime. State election rules prevent anyone who has been convicted of an infamous crime from seeking a local elected office.

The board ruled unanimously against Barnett, who is expected to remain in his role as board president for the remainder of his soon-to-be-expired term. He serves in a district that includes two schools and about 1,000 students.

The elections board cited the recent case of Kenneth Williams, the former Thornton Township School District 205 president who was removed from office in 2013 for a prior felony conviction for forgery.

A lawyer for Barnett says an appeal to the circuit court is likely.

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Photo via Hazel Crest School District 152 1/2